Reactions of MeInCl2 with lithium alcoholates

MeInCl2 was treated with two equivalents of LiOR (R = Pr-i, Bu-t) in boiling toluene to give the In-O cage compounds [(InMe)(4)(InCI)(3)(Cl)(5)((OPr)-Pr-i)(5)(O)(2)] (1) and [Li(InMe)(5)(InCl)(Cl)(2)((OBu)-Bu-t)(8)(O)] (2). 1 and 2 were characterized by NMR and IR techniques as well as by X-ray structure determinations. According to them I can be divided formally into the two complex fragments [(InMe)(MeInCl)(InCl)((OPr)-Pr-i)(3)(O)] and [(InMe)(MeInCl)(InCl2)- ((OPr)-Pr-i)(2)(O)] which coordinate one unit of InCl3. In 2 the complex fragments [Li(InMe)(2)((OBu)-Bu-t)(4)] and [(InMe)(MeInCl)(2)(InCl)((OBu)-Bu-t)(4)(O)] coordinate a Cl- ion.